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The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience – The Secret Public Years 1981–1989

The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience – The Secret Public Years 1981–1989 is a CD compilation of Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle's first solo days and his subsequent band, Flag of Convenience, which compiles his post-Buzzcocks songs from 1981 to 1989, during the years Buzzcocks remained disbanded. It was released in 1994 in the UK on Anagram Records.

The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience - The Secret Public Years 1981-1989
Greatest hits album by
Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience
ReleasedFebruary 1994[1]
Recorded1981–1989
Genre
Length79:03
LabelAnagram
Producer
Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience chronology
Heated and Rising (EP)
(1993) 		The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience - The Secret Public Years 1981-1989
(1994) 		Here's One I Made Earlier – Best of Steve Diggle, Flag of Convenience, F.O.C. and Buzzcocks F.O.C.
(1995)

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]

AllMusic wrote, "It's not that the first 13 tracks, from '81-'86, aren't of good quality -- they are. But it's the final eight songs that should have led-off here, in establishing Diggle as one of the most important and overlooked artists in all of Britain during the '80s."[2]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Steve Diggle and credited to Flag of Convenience; except where indicated.

  1. "Shut Out the Light" – 2:54 (Steve Diggle)
  2. "50 Years of Comparative Wealth" – 3:45 (Steve Diggle)
  3. "Here Comes the Fire Brigade" – 3:56 (Steve Diggle)
  4. "Life on the Telephone" – 5:24
  5. "Picking Up on Audio Sound" – 3:24
  6. "Other Mans Sin" – 4:48 [n 1]
  7. "Men from the City" – 4:54
  8. "Who Is Innocent" – 3:54
  9. "Drift Away" – 3:49
  10. "Change" – 2:49
  11. "Longest Life" – 3:26
  12. "The Arrow Has Come" – 3:27
  13. "Keep on Pushing" (live) – 4:10
  14. "Pictures in My Mind" – 2:42
  15. "Last Train to Safety" – 4:20
  16. "Exiles" – 3:04
  17. "Can't Stop the World" – 2:06
  18. "Shot Down with a Gun" – 4:16 [n 2]
  19. "Tragedy in Market Street" – 4:14
  20. "Tomorrow's Sunset" – 4:06 [n 3] (Buzzcocks F.O.C.)
  21. "Life with the Lions" – 3:35 (Buzzcocks F.O.C.)
Origin
  • Tracks 1–3 from 50 Years of Comparative Wealth EP, 1981.
  • Tracks 4–6 from "Life on the Telephone" single, 1982
  • Tracks 7–12 from The Big Secret, 1984
  • Track 13 from "New House" single, 1986
  • Track 14 from Northwest Skyline, 1987
  • Track 15 from "Last Train to Safety" EP, 1987
  • Tracks 16–19 from Exiles EP, 1988
  • Tracks 20–21 from "Tomorrow's Sunset" single, 1989

Personnel edit

Credits adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted.

Musicians
  • Steve Diggle – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • John Maher – drums (1-12)
  • Steve Garvey – bass (1-3)
  • Mark Burke – guitar (7-12)
  • Steve Mac – guitar (13)[6]
  • Gaz Connor – guitar (16-19)
  • Andy Couzens – guitar (20-21)
  • David Farrow – bass (4-6)
  • Gary Hamer – bass (7-21)
  • John Caine – drums (13-15)
  • Chris Godwin – drums (16-21)
  • Dave "D.P." Prescott – keyboards (4–6)[7]
  • Dean Sumner – keyboards (13)[6]
Technical
  • Steve Diggle – producer (1–3,[8] 7-19)
  • Flag of Convenience – producer (4-6)[3]
  • Hugh Murphy – producer (4-6)[3]
  • Gary Hamer – producer (13-19)
  • Martin Hannett – producer (20-21)

Notes edit

  1. ^ Titled "The Other Man's Sin" on original single release.[3]
  2. ^ Titled "Shot Down with Your Gun" on original EP release.[4]
  3. ^ Titled "Sunset" on original single release.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ McGartland, Tony (25 May 2017). "Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience: Solo Discography". Buzzcocks: The Complete History. John Blake Publishing Ltd. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-78606-520-9.
  2. ^ a b The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience – The Secret Public Years 1981–1989 at AllMusic
  3. ^ a b c "Life On The Telephone single - inner label". Discogs. 6 October 1982. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Exiles EP - back cover". Discogs. 15 August 1988. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Tomorrows Sunset single - back cover". Discogs. 6 October 1989. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b "New House single - back cover". Discogs. 6 October 1986. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Life On The Telephone single - back cover". Discogs. 6 October 1982. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. ^ "50 Years of Comparative Wealth EP - back cover". Discogs. 6 October 1981. Retrieved 5 May 2023.

External links edit

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